


Keep-Away

by kidakunx2



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel)
Genre: But here it is, M/M, RIP me, aoba being oblivious, but it turned into angsty lovestruck koujaku, im literally the worst, koujaku being a huge dork, omg im so sorry this is so late, this was supposed to be about noiz / clear shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 18:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7279189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kidakunx2/pseuds/kidakunx2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When everyone catches on to Koujaku's feelings for Aoba except Aoba himself, the rest of the crew has some fun watching Koujaku fail miserably each time he tries to confess. Of course, he wouldn't be failing half as much if they didn't have anything to do with it. </p>
<p>For 8bitalice on tumblr as part of the nitrochiexchange!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep-Away

**Author's Note:**

> OH GOD OKAY THIS IS MY FIRST FIC FOR AN EXCHANGE, USUALLY I DO ART BUT I JUST DID NOT HAVE THE TIME THIS TIME and as you can see im literally posting this like 10 minutes before the extended deadline  
> oh my god im so sorry rip me but this is for 8bitalice on tumblr as part of the nitrochiexchange, I really hope you like it!! I wanted to draw some Lamento catboys instead but alas I just didn't have the time, so I went with your prompt about the gang trying to completely throw Koujaku for a loop as he tries to confess to Aoba. It turned out a little different though, but I hope you like it!!! I had so much fun with this too as this is my first piece of work for the DMMd fandom. <3 :)

Koujaku sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Lately it seemed that no matter what he did to keep his mind off of things, his thoughts always ended up strung back up into a tangled mess consisting of his best friend. Above all, Koujaku wholeheartedly valued their relationship as it was. Their trust was like no other. Their bond was of the best of friends, having been forged through hardships and time. The relationship between Koujaku and Aoba simply was not one that could be forced or created under normal circumstances. No, there was something special between the two young men, the two best friends. 

Something special about long blue hair, an oversized jacked hanging off of a slender frame, the warmth of fingertips as they brushed against his-

Koujaku sighed again and shook his head, as if the physical movement would somehow help him untangle his thoughts of Aoba. It’d been this way for a while now, the daydreaming, the pining, and the denial. But lately, it seemed to be getting worse and worse, harder and harder to ignore. It wasn’t until two weeks ago that Koujaku had actually admitted it out loud to himself, and only himself, in the privacy of his own bedroom. 

“I… love Aoba.”

Three simple words had turned the confident, charismatic, never-flustered hairdresser into a blushing, shivering mess. He rolled around in his bed, practically squealed, feeling his heart burst at the seams with the excitement that was his newfound realization. 

Ever since then, Koujaku always texted Aoba a little more frequently. Tried to make plans every day instead of every other day. Always swung by the shop when he knew Aoba was working, whether Koujaku’s schedule permitted it or not. Any time he got to see Aoba, even for a second, was worth it. 

And all was going well! It really was, until he realized that Aoba actually did have a life, and had other friends to share his time with. And although Koujaku spent most of his time with Aoba, the blue haired man split up his time between the five of his best friends. At first, it was such an aggravating bump in the road. How could he ever tell Aoba how he felt when he was always with his other friends? How could they hang out more often if Aoba was so busy making other plans?

Well, the first thing Koujaku thought of, was to actually try to make nice with Aoba’s friends. At this particular moment in time, Aoba, Clear, Noiz, and Koujaku were seated around a table, waiting for their orders of ramen to arrive. 

Normally, this would have been fine. Koujaku could deal with Noiz and Clear for the most part, as long as he was sitting next to Aoba. But today, this wasn’t the case. And it also wasn’t the case yesterday. Or the day before that. Something was definitely wrong. No matter how hard to tried to move closer to Aoba, or maybe even sneak off with him, someone was always throwing a wrench in them. And today, it was the brat. 

The four men sat all in a row at the countertop. Koujaku was on the end, with Noiz on his right, and Aoba was seated next to Noiz with Clear on his right. Koujaku huffed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Noiz smirk. With Aoba and Clear deep in conversation about the mating habits of jellyfish, Koujaku decided it’d be a good time to call the brat out. He turned to him sharply and gave him a cold look. 

“Any reason why you’re so smug today, kid?” Koujaku spat. Noiz returned his words with that same blank, smug stare that made Koujaku want to punch him and all of his stupid bunny pins in all of their faces. Noiz turned away and grabbed his water. After taking a sip, he replied. 

“Ah, it’s just so fun playing keep away with Aoba when you’re so obviously obsessed and he’s so completely oblivious.”

Koujaku, now in the middle of his own sip of water, choked and coughed, which made his retort about one thousand times less cool. There went all of Koujaku’s dignity, because having a kid you hate point out your fondness for someone else is already pretty lame. 

“Stupid punk, watch it or I’ll kick your ass into next week!” Koujaku threatened, water still dripping from his chin. This was enough to capture the attention of the rest of the group. Aoba spoke up first, leaning back in his seat to see past Clear. 

“Oi, you two! Can’t you guys go anywhere without threatening to kill each other?” Aoba’s cheeks were flushed and it was adorable, but was most likely the result of heavy embarrassment from the glares weighing on them from the rest of the shop patrons. If Aoba was anything, it was easily flustered. And although often it meant bad news for him, Koujaku thought it was super cute. Too cute. 

The tense atmosphere was broken when their food arrived in front of them only a minute later. Noiz and Koujaku ate in silence, while Clear kept Aoba busy, talking up a storm as usual. 

When they all said their goodbyes after dinner, Koujaku told himself that tonight he’d go over Aoba’s and confess. When Aoba turned to leave, Koujaku hurried to follow. 

“Aoba, mind if I stay over tonight? I’d kill for some of Tae-san’s breakfast in the morning.” Koujaku’s pace finally matched with Aoba’s, and from his few inches of height advantage he could see Aoba give a sweet, shy smile.

“Jeez, you’re so shameless, always taking advantage of me for Granny’s food. But I guess you’d starve otherwise, so why not.” Aoba’s sassier-than-usual comeback made both Koujaku’s heart and feet miss a beat, but his mind was reeling. 

I’m going to stay at Aoba’s. We’ll be alone. I’ll tell him tonight, for sure. I’ll go crazy if I don’t. 

The duo made their way back to Aoba’s house with regular, comfortable chat, and Koujaku began to really feel his nerves as they reached the cozy home. 

Relax. 

Open the door, shoes off. 

You’ve been here a million times. This is a comfortable place. 

It’s late- Tae-san is sleeping. Be quiet. 

Why are you getting so nervous? It’s just Aoba. 

Up the stairs - skip the third step, it creaks. 

But that’s why I’m so nervous- because it’s Aoba. 

Follow Aoba into the room, and be sure to close the door behind you. 

I can do this, I can do this. I can-

“Aoba, I want to talk to you about something.” He sat down next to Aoba on the bed, cheeks burning hot. Aoba seemed to notice how much of a mess he was, because he leaned over and put his hand on Koujaku’s forehead, his body and face much too close. 

“Koujaku, are you okay? You look really red… You’re sweating! It feels like a fever - do you think the restaurant we went to was bad? Did it make you sick? Let me get some medicine from downstairs. Lay down, I’ll be right back.” Aoba stood up with all intent to leave and nurse Koujaku back to health, but Koujaku reached out to grab his wrist before he could get too far away. Aoba turned and gave Koujaku a puzzled look. Cute.

Now or never. I have to do this now. I have to. I have to. 

“Aoba, I… I lo-”

Just as Koujaku pushed out the words before he regained his common sense, he heard the familiar ring of Aoba’s coil. The two of them looked towards the source of the beeping, the wrist that currently wasn’t in Koujaku’s possession. Aoba read the caller ID and gave a quizzical sigh. 

“Hm, Noiz...? Right now?” 

Noiz. 

The sound of that idiot’s name made Koujaku’s blood boil. This wasn’t some regular call, that punk saw them go home together and decided to play his newly found favorite keep-away game.  
What an asshole. What an unbelievably childish, selfish, good for nothing, rhyme obsessed shithead-

“Koujaku! Let go, you’re holding too tight! Can you even hear me? Hello???”

Koujaku was torn out of his thoughts by a frazzled Aoba, trying to break free from his accidental hate induced death grip. 

“What? What happened?”

Koujaku was thoroughly confused. Did he really tune out completely? He looked to Aoba as he started scurrying around the room, picking up Ren and putting him in his bag. 

“I have to go over to meet Noiz- he said something about a bad virus that older allmates like Ren don’t stand a chance against. I’ve gotta bring Ren to him so he can install new software right away!” Aoba was flushed, and panicky. Ren means everything to him, and this truly was a low blow from Noiz. Where did he get off in toying with people like this? Or did he have feelings for Aoba as well, and that’s why he was trying his hardest to keep them apart? Tch, as if Aoba would ever pick Noiz over him. 

Aoba nearly ran out of the house before remembering that Koujaku was still there. He poked his head in from behind the doorframe. 

“You’re welcome to wait for me, Koujaku. I shouldn’t be more than an hour or two-”

“I’ll just go home then, Aoba. It’s fine. Take care of Ren.” 

Filled with anger and disappointment, Koujaku walked past Aoba, out of the Seragaki residence, and didn’t even look back.

Curled up in his bed at home, alone, Koujaku nearly cries out of frustration, until his feelings turn to jealousy. 

Why does Noiz get to be with Aoba right now and I don’t? I could have waited for him, but… I guess I was being stubborn. I ran away. I always run away. 

\---

In the morning, Koujaku visited Heibon to see Aoba on his way to work. Feeling physically exhausted from a night of no sleep, and mentally exhausted from imagining Noiz putting the moves on Aoba last night, his feet were dragging. He definitely looked awful, and he knew that if anyone would be able to tell, it’d be Aoba. Why was he even still going to see him? It was obvious what was going to happen.

Either he’d walk in and see Noiz, doing some bullshit thing with Aoba to try to separate them again.. or he’d be too late. He’d be too late because Noiz and Aoba probably made out last night, if his paranoid, sleepless imagination had been right. I mean, why else would this idiot go so far to keep them apart? That was the only thing he could think of. 

Koujaku stopped in front of the small door of the shop. Feeling so thoroughly defeated, he didn’t even bat an eye when he opened the door and took his first few steps in and up to the counter. Yesterday, he would have been shaking so much you’d have thought it would have been twenty degrees outside. Today, the broken Koujaku could barely give a fuck. 

“Welcome to Junk Shop He- Oh, it’s just you, Koujaku. Sorry about last night, you know how I get when Ren’s status is involved, and I… Are… Are you okay?”

Koujaku slowly walked up to the reception desk where Aoba sat, but didn’t make eye contact with him. Just kept his eyes downcast, ready to confess one last time, only to be rejected. 

“Aoba…” His voice was just a hoarse whisper. 

“Koujaku… What happened?” Aoba stood up to cup Koujaku’s face in his hands, and forced his face upwards so their eyes could meet. Soft, sweet yellow met hardened, worried black. Koujaku reached out to cup Aoba’s face as well. He smiled softly. At least he could cherish being so close with him for these few moments. 

“Aoba… I love you.”  
Silence. 

There was a massive silence, so heavy and weighing down on both of them like the air they were breathing was settling like sediment in the bottom of their lungs, painful to breathe in and impossible to breathe out. 

Koujaku wished he’d done things differently. Wished he could have actually told Aoba instead of running away when things got difficult or didn’t go the way he planned it, because Aoba deserved the very best. He should have taken him somewhere sappy and embarrassing, like a nice restaurant, or confessed on top of a ferris wheel. Hell, even last night in Aoba’s room would have been more romantic because they would have been alone, at least. Now, they just have this toxic air and the shrill beeping of Bonjin-kun emptying the trash bin. Haga-san, Noiz, or any other one of their friends or Heibon customers could walk in at any second. 

Yet here they were, the pair of best friends holding each other’s faces in their hands, looking into each other's eyes, too close to really be just friends, but too scared to move. 

Koujaku broke first. He slid his hands away from Aoba’s soft, beautiful face, and made a move to turn around and leave. 

“I just wanted to let you know how I felt before you made any choices about… anyone else.” 

And with that, Koujaku turned on his heel and left. He approached the door and reached out his hand, and then-

There was a soft thud against his back, and small arms wrapped around his front. It was warm, it was comfortable, it was Aoba. 

“Koujaku, you huge idiot. You complete hippo. What are you even talking about?”

“I told you, I wanted to let you know how I felt before you continued things with Noiz. Isn’t that enough? Just let me leave already, please.” He made another move for the door. The arms around his waist squeezed tighter, and were… shaking? Crying? Was Aoba crying? Oh god, now he’d done it. He made Aoba cry. He should literally just leave now before he causes a sinkhole to open up and swallow the shop or something. He made another move.

“Ha.. Ha.. I.. I can’t believe what you’re saying right now!! Ahahah!! Kou.. Koujaku!! Ahaha~!!” 

...Laughing. Aoba’s laughing… Because of me… Or at me… 

Koujaku turned around, untangling Aoba’s arms from his waist in the process.

“Aoba, what the hell are you laughing at! I just confessed to you and you’re laughing it up like I just told you the funniest joke you’ve heard all week! I can’t believe you’d be so rude. Just drop it, please. I’m already hurting enough as it is.”

Aoba then got serious, and moved closer to Koujaku, facing him this time. He grabbed his hands and held them tight. Soft eyes met sad ones once again.

“Koujaku…”

“Yes, Aoba?”

“I’m laughing because I love you too.”

“Aoba, I thought I already told you to stop making fun of me.”

“Koujaku, I’m not…” Aoba took a step and closed the gap between them, snuggling his head into Koujaku’s chest, wrapping his arms tightly around his best friend. Around the man he loved. He whispered into the fabric of his kimono. “I love you, Koujaku. Only you. The fact that you’d think it’d be anyone otherwise is absolutely ridiculous.”

Koujaku’s heart had all but stopped, but somehow was hammering through his chest at the same time. This is… completely not what he was expecting. He was expecting heartbreak. Regret, for not having the courage to tell Aoba how he felt before Aoba became involved with someone else. He was ready to walk into Heibon this morning and see Noiz flirting it up with Aoba right in front of his face. He’d expected Aoba’s soft eyes to look up at him and say, “I’m sorry, Koujaku, I didn’t know… I’m kinda seeing someone now…”

Koujaku buried his face into Aoba’s amazing blue hair and exhaled the deepest sigh he could possible manage. Out with the jealous thoughts, the heartbreak, the sleepless nights and the crazy theories. Out with the nervousness, out with the secrets, no more hiding his feelings and pining. This was it. He held Aoba closer. 

“I love you, Aoba. Thank y-”

It was then that the bell chimed from the door of the shop. The two froze again, this time not from heartache or nervousness, but because of full blown embarrassment. The two flung away from each other at record speed, Aoba reaching for his desk so that he could appear like someone who was actually working instead of a delinquent who was just cuddling their boyfriend while still on the clock. 

“W-Welcome to Junk Shop Heibon, what brings you in today?” Aoba looked up to the customer to find a familiar green and black outfit in front of him. “Noiz? What the hell?” 

Noiz and Koujaku were staring each other down, like two hunters getting ready to hunt each other instead of prey. Aoba stepped in between them and physically pushed them apart. 

“Oi, again with you two! What the hell is going on?”

Noiz turned to look at the back of the shop with an uninterested look in his eyes. He sighed. 

“I guess my fun’s over for now. But it was pretty entertaining while it lasted. It’s a shame too.” He moved to check his coil. “I even roped Clear along for the ride today.” 

“You brat! I’m gonna beat the shit out of you!” Koujaku made a lunge forward while Noiz stealthily avoided it while slipping through the door at the same time. Koujaku found his nose crushed by the backswing of it. 

“Ah! Idiot kid! I swear next time I see him I’m going to smash him to pieces-”

“Koujaku, I have no idea what’s going on! Why is your nose bleeding? What was Noiz talking about? And he mentioned Clear! Are you guys planning something? You know my birthday’s not until April, right?” Aoba continued making uneducated guesses about the current status of his friend group, while Bonjin-kun brought Koujaku a wad of paper towels for his nose. 

Koujaku walked over to Aoba’s seat behind the desk and sat down, head tilted back to stop the flow of blood. Aoba sat on his lap, and wrapped his arms around Koujaku’s shoulders. 

“Koujaku, what’s happening?” Aoba sounded worried now. No, no, that wasn’t good. 

Aoba isn’t allowed to be worried about anything, especially now that he’s mine. 

“Noiz knew that I had feelings for you.”

“Eh! Before I did! Why did you tell him!”

Koujaku shot a nasty glare at Aoba before realizing he still needed to hold his head back. 

“I didn’t tell him! That snot nosed brat must have figured it out or something. And from what he just told us, either he told Clear too, or Clear had it already figured out as well.”

“Hmm..” Aoba sat, wondering how all of his friends could be in the know about Koujaku’s feelings while he, the actual object of Koujaku’s affection, was left completely in the dark. “Oh, I’ve got it! Why didn’t you just tell me sooner? That would have solved everything, right?”

This time Koujaku knew fully well that he should keep his head tilted back, but chose to glare at Aoba instead.  
“You idiot, I tried to! I’ve been trying to for the last few weeks! But…” He looked away, shyly, voice lowered to an embarrassed whisper. “Noiz was… playing keep away with you.” 

Aoba chuckled. 

“What does that mean? I haven’t been playing anything with Noiz. Is this one of those new games he got for his Coil? Is it good? He was telling me about one the other day that has this giant rabbit-”

Koujaku blushed deeper and turned his head away from Aoba further. 

“No, Aoba… Noiz thought it would be hilarious if he could interrupt us whenever possible, keep us apart, and make it near impossible for me to tell you how I felt. Why do you think he called you last night?” 

“Hey, Noiz wouldn’t do that! There were some serious updates that Ren needed! And he was just really worried about him, he told me to go back after work tonight so that we could do the second half of the up...dates…”

Aoba trailed off, eyes wide in realization. Koujaku turned to look at Aoba, giving him a smirk. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“But why was it so obvious to everyone but me! Why was I the last person to know!” Aoba crossed his arms in a pout. Cute. Cute Cute.

“Cute.”

“What?”

“You’re cute when you’re pouty, Aoba.”

This time, it was Aoba’s turn to be embarrassed.

“Oi, don’t say things like that. It’s weird.” 

“Well, I doubt anything could be weirder than me telling you I loved you a few minutes ago, so I’m a little confused as to how you’re deciding on these things.” 

Aoba sighed, giving up on the topic for now. 

“How’s your nose?”

Koujaku felt around his face and checked his tissue. No blood. 

“Looks like I’m all clear.” Koujaku looked up at Aoba and flashed a smile. 

Aoba caught him by the face and pulled him in close.

“Good,” he whispered. 

Aoba pushed their lips together into a feathery light kiss, that was too much and not enough all at once, but was still perfect, because it was Aoba. And Aoba was his. 

When they broke apart, they rested their foreheads together, and Aoba began to giggle. 

“What, what’s so funny? What did I do?” 

Aoba smirked at Koujaku. 

“I can’t wait to see you try to kick Noiz’s ass next time he comes around.”

**Author's Note:**

> come sin with me at kidakunx2.tumblr.com


End file.
